Low-FODMAP Veggie Stir Fry with Wasabi-Ginger Sauce

I acknowledge that this is the least sexy title for a recipe ever! I promise it tastes much sexier than it sounds.

You may be wondering what the hell a FODMAP is and how it relates to you. The quick version is FODMAPs are Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides And Polyols. These are short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in natural whole foods, and can be difficult for some people to digest (particularly those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Foods that are high in FODMAPs (see the full chart of high and low-FODMAP foods here) can cause painful symptoms such as gas, bloating, distention, fatigue, and irregular bowel movements. Those who have digestive issues typically find relief in lowering their intake of high-FODMAP foods.

If this sounds relatable to you, I encourage you to keep read My Journey with Gut Health, because learning about FODMAPs legit changed my life.

Okay, so that’s the very basic jist on FODMAPs.

Because I’m sensitive to high-FODMAP foods, particularly onions and garlic, I’ve been making all my meals without them. At first, I thought food would be completely void of flavor without onions and garlic (especially my much coveted stir fry), but such is not the case. I’ve been able to adjust easily, and I simply use other ingredients that are big on flavor to replace them.

Which brings us to this recipe!

The idea behind this stir fry is super simple. It’s an easy-to-prepare squeaky clean meal that I intentionally designed to be low-FODMAP. Most stir fry recipes include onions, garlic, and soy (because: delicious), but you’d be surprised how tasty stir fry can be without them!

My choice replacement for garlic has been ginger. I love big flavor..something to make my veggies sing, and for me, ginger does the trick. Plus, ginger is very soothing on your digestive system, making it a double win. My choice replacement for soy? Coconut aminos. Coconut aminos yield a very similar flavor, and the combo of ginger and coconut aminos in stir fry is an instant win.

Not only is this version of stir fry easier on my belly, but I find it so easy to prepare at a moment’s notice. In fact, I make it for lunch all the time! I find many people use store-bought sauces, such as teriyaki, szechuan, etc, for their stir fry, but simply eliminating the use of these sauces makes the meal far more nutritious!

Periodically, I make a big batch of wasabi sauce to drizzle over meals like this, as I’m all about tang and heat. The sauce is certainly not necessary, especially if you enjoy your food on the milder side, but I love it for stepping up the flavor profile to keep things fiery.

Simply cook up some rice, saute the veggies, whip up a tasty wasabi sauce (if you so choose), and you have yourself a filling meal that will make you feel like a million bucks. If you’d like to add animal protein, go for it! If you’re not sensitive to beans and want to keep this vegetarian, garbanzo or black beans would be a great addition for more protein.

Thanks, Medha! I find the coconut flavor in coconut aminos to be super mild, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about it. To me, it tastes fairly close to low-sodium soy sauce – more tangy and salty than anything else 😉 Hope you give it a try!

I think it’s awesome that you are developing low FODMAP recipes because I think they’re pretty hard to come by. I had a reader email me recently saying how she’s been eating this way. Now I have somewhere to refer her for ideas! 🙂